Tree wagon



Nov. 3, 1925. Y J. H. RooF ETAL TREE WAGON Filed Nov, e, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet J.

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J. H. ROOF ET AL TREE WAGON Filed Nov. 6, 1924 s sheets-sheet 3 FIG. 4

A i l ;:z w m a T 5 s a www. 5 H,... 41 M HZ uw 4. .n l l n n. o 7 a o .vr. 3M 3 M 3 a. ug a INVENTOR S/ A myc ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 3, 1925.

UNITED STAT-13s JOHN H; ROOF AND GEORGE -V'. ROOF, OF DAYTON, Oli-IIO.

TREE WAGON.

Application filed November 6,1924. Serial No.l 748,090.

To ZZ whom t may concern) i Be it known that we, JOHN HdR-oor and GEORGE V. Boor, citizens =of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the -e-ounty of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have vinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Tree Vilagons, of Vwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates'to new and useful improvements in tree wagons, and has particularly reference to a tree wagon for cxtracting and setting up a treer as well as for 'transporting it without injury toits roots and bark.

It is the principalobject of our invention to provide an eicient, strong and easilycontrolled wagonwhich will not only safely transport a tree from one location to another, but which will,without injury to its roots and bark, extract the tree from the ground and` load it. A

Our improved ineans contemplate, in addition Ato the detachable wheel-supported axle which carries a saddle beam that is made 25 fast to the trunk of a tree, a false boat which, is placed vertically in the hole around the roots of the tree, and then attached to the axle to lift up those roots from the bottom when a pull is exerted upon the outer end ofthe saddle beam. Thereforaduring the extraction of the tree from the ground, the upward pull is not exerted throughthe saddles upon the trunk, which tends to scrape and burstits bark, but the lifting movement will beA from below through the false boat whichengages beneath the roots to elevate them when the extracting pull is exerted upon the outer vendA of the saddle beam.y Y l After the tree has' been extracted from the ground, it is drawn by the rear wheeled axle over a bottom boat or platform which is secured to thefront axle and then to the rear one. Our false boat which lifts upv the roots ofthe tree during the extracting operation, alsoA carries those rootsl upon the bottom boat without permitting them to engage it. YThis it-would ydo inthe absence of the falseboat, resulting inA much of the dirt being scraped from its roots, This -false boat also tends tohold the tree steady durngjthe time it'is being transportedto its new-loeation v -f j platform.

ling rods are properly tensioned. -Y

Y. It is still another object of our invention to provide. an adjustable head-rest `on the 55 saddie beam, for the tree. This enables said beam to be readilyaccommodated to tree trunks y'of different lengths. l

Other important and incidental objects will be brought out inthe following specilication and particularly set forth in the subjoined claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure y1A is a side elevational view of our-tree wagon with av tree vloaded thereon. F igur@ 2,is a'65 side elevational view of the rear `truiclein itsextracting position, showing thesaddle beam attached to a tree ,and thenfalse boat in the trench around the tree. Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the rear truck of the wagon, with the tree lashed in place and .the false boat resting on the bottom one. Figure 4 is a plan view of theerear truck, showing its constructionv and means of operation.. And Figure 5 is a rear elevational 75 view of said truck. f l

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a detailed description of the form of embodiment of our invention illustrated .therein7 the numeral l designates a front 80 Vaxle supportedby wheels 2, one of which is shown in Figure 1. Suitably secured to, and suspended from, the front axlel is the front end of a bottom boat or platform 3 4constructed of heavy beams thatare prefer- 85 ably reinforced below'by elongated rods 4 which, at their middle portions, bear against a block 5 secured to the underside of said The frontends of these rods 4 are turned upwardly and over the front of the Vplatfrom 3, while their rear endseare passed through inclined holesin the latter and threaded tov receive nuts 6. (See Figure 1'.) By turning these nuts, the reinforc- The numeral 7-de`signates a rear axle upon the middle portion of which, betweenv the wheels'B, V8, there .issecured by clamping membersv 19,59 0r other suitable vmeavns, a .cross block; 10.V ySecuredto themi-ddle. -porloo tion of the axle 7 are two V-shaped bars lvl, 1l which are turned outwardly at their ends to support a saddle, beam 12. to the lower ,end of'whiehastationary saddlel is secured. Longitudinally adjustablel along fthe upper. part of thebeamilis ansa'ddlefor head rest extension 14to permit the saddle beam to be accommodated to tree trunks of different lengths.

Secured to the top part of the end portion of the platform or bottom boat 3, are two hooks 15, 15 which are received by the lower links of chains 16', 16 that are wound upon a windlass 17 secured to the rear axle block 10 to connect said bottom boat to the rear truck of the wagon. By means of the windlass the rear end of the boat 3, when hooked to the chains 16, 16, maybe raised a desired distance from the ground after a tree has been loaded upon the wagon. (See Figures 1, 3 and 5.)

For the purposes hereinbefore referred to, we provide an additional or false boat or platform 18 which comprises a front beam section 19, a short middle superimposed section 2O and a rear section 21 mounted upon the latter. Formed in the middle part of its front section 19, is a holel adapted to receive the outer end of a bolt 22 which receives at its inner end a tapped cross member' 23 having hook ends. The latter enter the lower links 'of chains 24, 24 secured to the front under-side portion of the saddle beam 12. The rear section 21 of the false boat 18 is also formed with a middle hole to receivel the outer end of a bolt 25 which is formed 'at its upper end with a hook portion 26 for entrance into a ring 27 which is secured to the middle portion of the rear 'side of the axle block 10. (See Figures '3 and 5.)

Passing through registering holes in the bottom boat 3 and the block 5 beneath, on each side thereof, is an eye bolt 28 which receives on its lower end a nut 29. To the upper end of each eye bolt 28 the lower end of a bracing rod 30 is'conneeted. The upper end of each bracing rod 30 is formed with an eye portion 31 which is connected to a env hook bolt 32 secured to the axle block 10. (See Figures 1, 4 and 5.) These bracing rods 30, 30 assist the chains 16, 16 in secur ving the rear portion of the bottom boat 3 to `the rear axle of the wagon. A

Secured upon the' middle portion of the bottom boat 3, one on each side' thereof, are two vguilde blocks 33, which maintain the bottom section 19 of the false boat r1 8' in a middle position upon it. (See Figures 3 and 5.)

n `When itis desired 'to extract a tree vfrom the ground, a deep circular trench' is dug around it and the rear truck of our" wagon wheeled up to it. The saddle beam 12' is then brought 'to a vertical position. against the trunk of 'the tree as shownin Figure 2, aft-er lwhich 'its extensible saddle portion 1.4 is `drawn out to the proper length to prop conto-rin or accommodate the saddle '-rv'lllije adjustable saddle e edle' beam. 12 may 'be Vpositien by a'removalile pin 34 which is adapted to be inserted through a hole in the saddle beam proper into a registering hole'in the portion 14. (See Figures 2 and 4.)

)Vith the stationary saddle 13 firmly against the lower part of the tree trunk and itsY extensible saddle part 14 solidly against its upper part, both parts are then lashed tol the tree trunk by cables such as the ropes The false boat 18 is then brought to a vertical position behind the saddle beam 12, to sink, its lower section 19 into the trench against the roots of the treeas shown in Figure 2. The bolt 22 is then passed through the hole in the section 19 until a. washer' 36 is pressed by the head of the bolt against said section, after which the cross member 23 is'applied to its' inner end to connect'it, through the chains 24, 24, tothe saddle beam. The bolt 25 is also passed through the hole in the rear section 21 of the false boat 18 and a' nut 37 applied to that bolt and screwed upon it a substantial distance. Between said nut 37 and the false boat a washer 38 is placed. (See Figures 2, 3 and 5.)

`With the false boat 18 thus firmly secured y to the rear truck, a pull exerted upon the outer end ofthe saddle beam 12 will cause the lower part of the false boat to raise the tree roots from the bottom to relieve a verical pull, being communicated, with inju'ri ous results, to the tree through the saddles 13 and 14. )Vere the saddles through their engagement withthe tree trunk, to lift the tree from the ground, its bark would be scraped off by them, but in this instance they are relieved of this function by our false boat which engages under the roots of the tree to raise it from the bottom.

After the tree has been uprooted by our improved extracting means, itis turned to the inclined position shown in Figure 3 and then drawn by the rear truck over the bottom platform orA boat 3, with its roots resting upon the false boat 18 to protect them from an engagement with the bottomV boat that would brush the earth from them. In otherwords, instead of the roots themselves being drawn upon the bottom boat y3, they are carried upon it by the false boat which protects them from being scraped.

After the rear truck of the Wagonlhas the position over the' rear end of the bottom 'boat 3, shown in Figure 3, the hooks- 15, 15 are secured to the chains 16, 16 and the Windlass 17 operated to raise the bottom boat a desired distance from "the ground. The tree is now ready 'to be transported by the wagon'te its new location, with. thefalse boat steadynig it against eide sway. Should it tie-necessary to passano-er trolley or the Y t'urnec,l to iaise" boat which, through the bracirgrods' 30, 30"

will tilt the rear axle 7 suiiiciently to bring the top of the tree below the wires to clear them.

Having claim:

l. A tree wagon comprising a front axle and a rear axle, a beam secured to the rear axle for movement thereby to a vertical position against a tree, a bottom platform attacliable to said axles, a second platform adapted to be placed behind said rear axle to engage the roots of a tree when said beam is in a vertical position against the latter, the second platform being formed with bolt holes, and bolts pivotally secured to said rear axle and beam for passage through the holes'in the second platform to removably secure the latter to them for the purpose specified.

described our invention, We

2. A tree wagon comprising a front axle and a rear axle, a beam secured to the rearl axle to support the trunk of a tree, a bottom platform attacliable to said axles, a windla-ss on the rear axle for raising the rear end of the bottom platform from the ground, and bracing rods projecting from the middle portion of said platform to the rear axle, to tilt the latter rearwardly when the bottom platform is elevated lby the windlass, rto lower the top of the tree supported by said beam for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands this 3rd day of November, 1924:.

JOHN H. ROOF. GEORGE V. ROOF. 

